Security Tips for the Week

Automobiles:

• Keep It Locked. Always keep doors locked when driving. This not only keeps you from being flung onto hard asphalt during an accident, but stops someone from simply hoping into your car at a stoplight. Whenever you leave your car unattended – even for a minute – lock the doors. This avoids any “surprise” visitors popping up from the back seat.
• Ready Position. The highest risk in car jacking is as you approach or exit your vehicle, so have your keys ready as you approach your car. Look around to make sure all is safe and get into your vehicle quickly. Standing at your car fumbling in your pocket and distracted by keys is unsafe.
• Shed Some Light. Always check the back seat before getting into the car. Keep a small “LED” thumb light on your key ring so that you can check through the window at night.
• Shed More Light. Always park your car in well lit areas.
• Don’t Get In The Car. Do not allow yourself or a loved one to be taken into a car by force – even if you’re threatened with a gun or knife. You’re far better off taking your chances NOT getting into the car as crime statistics clearly show that the survival rate of car abductions is very small.
• When coming to a stop in traffic (signal, stop sign, or traffic back up) always give yourself “wiggle” room between you and the car in front of you (at least ¾ of a car length).
• Do not let a suspicious car follow you home. There is a strong urge to get to safety if you believe your being followed, resist the temptation to head for home instead go to the nearest police station or fire station.
• Consider installing an automatic garage door opener and motion sensor lights in your drive way. As you pull up to your drive way make sure there is no one suspicious near by, and as you pull into your garage check to make no one is hiding in wait, as you close the garage watch your rear view mirror (a common trick is to wait in hiding somewhere close to the garage and then to enter the garage as its being closed).
• Never, ever allow yourself to run out of gas. Consider a ¼ tank to be an empty tank